The simple reason Finland has a lower infant mortality rate

It’s not unusual to find new babies in Finland sleeping in cardboard boxes. Huh?

For the past 75 years, the Finnish government has given all pregnant women of all social backgrounds a big present: A box filled with everything a new mom needs—except an actual set of extra hands and a few hours of extra sleep—to get through that first year. The cardboard box contains over 50 items, from a set of cloth diapers and sleepers of different sizes to a hooded bath towel and snow suit. Every box has a mattress at the bottom and the two together can be used as a crib.

The Finnish government believes, according to the BBC, that all babies deserves “an equal start in life.”

To some Americans this might sound like less of a thoughtful gift than an intrusion of Big Government into family life. The government outfitting a nation of babies in the same clothing screams socialism (although of course Finns have a choice in whether to actually receive the box and use the clothing) and goes against the American values of individuality and self-expression. Here in America most pregnant moms like to frequent the mall where they can freely choose their own onesies at their favorite chain and big-box stores. They put a lot of time and thought into registering for exactly what they want their baby shower guests to buy for them. Nobody is going to tell these women what blanket to swaddle their baby in!

But before you denounce Finland’s baby box as creepy and conformist, consider this: Studies have shown that the box plays a role in the country’s low infant mortality rate. While the United States has one of the highest infant mortality rates of any industrialized nation, Finland has one of the lowest. The rate has dramatically decreased ever since the 1930s when the government started passing out the boxes to all moms. These boxes ensure that every child has a safe place to sleep—something not every American child can count on. What’s more, the boxes show that the nation as a whole cares for each and every child.

What do you think? Should the U.S. government start passing out boxes to expecting moms?